Thill-coupling.



No. 653,689. Patented .luly I7, |900.

W. M. MORTUN.

THILL GDUPLING.

(Application led Oct. 30, 1899.)

(Nn Model.)

Nrrnn STATESl einen.

PATENT THlLL-COUPLINCL sPncIFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No.653,689, dated July 17, 190e.

Application nea october 30,1899. sean No. 735,160. da man.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM M. MoRToN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inThill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in thill-couplings; and itconsists in certain details of construction, to be more fully set forthin the following specification.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation ofthe thill-coupling locked and broken view of the thill or shaft. Fig. 2is a bottom plan view of the thill-coupling and broken view of theshaft. Fig. 3 representsabroken loot tom view of the thill-coupling andhandle portion of the locking cam-lever, with said lever partiallydisengaged from the hinged eye-section. Fig. et is a broken hot-tornview of the thill-coupling with the locking cain-lever thrown to oneside to unlock the hinged eye-section. Fig. 5 is a broken View of thethill-coupling with the lever disengaged from the hinged eyesectlon andsuch eye-section dropped. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of thehinged eye- Section.

The construction and operation are as follows:

l represents the thill-iron, attached to the thill 2. Said iron has theseinicircular head 2, adapted to partially embrace the shaftbolt. (Notshown.)

3 (see also Fig. t5) is the eye-section, adapted, in conjunction withthe head 2a of the thill-iron, to form a complete eye.

4I- is a semicircular seat formed in the upper surface of the saidhinged eyesection, against which seat the end of the locking-lever,presently to be described, cams.

5 is a rearwardly-prejecting tongue adapted to be inserted between theears 6 6a of the thill-iron, which tongue, combined with the hole 7 andthe pin 8, pivotally connects said section with the head of thethill-iron.

9 is the locking-lever, pivotally supported on the pin 10, projectingfrom the thill-iron. 9a is the head portion of said lever, provided withthe cam-face 9b, adapted to be engaged or disengaged withthe'seinicircular seat of the hinged eye-section. The head portion 9a isconsiderably thicker than the handle portion of said locking or camlever, so as to proi vide a firm rear support for the hinged eyesection3.

ll is the ordinary strap-loop, projecting from the thill-iron l; but inthis instance it is provided with the projection 12, adapted to engagewith the notch or opening 13 in the end of the locking-lever handle.138M are beveled portions of the side walls of said opening to providemeans for disconnecting the lever from the'projection 12 of the loop l1.As before remarked, the handle portion of this locking-lever is muchthinner than the head, for the rea-son that in locking or unlocking thesame this thin portion is slightly depressed or sprung down in thedirection of arrow a, Fig. 1, to engageor disengage it from theprojection l2.

Devices of this character have been made where thelocking-lever ispivotallysupported on a pin or stud projecting from the outer surface ofthe hinged eye-section. In such a construction when the coupling islocked the handle of the lever, lying as it does'along the thill-iron,is fulcrulned on said tliill-iron, and the strain. will have a tendencyto open the hinged eye-section by reason of the fact that such handleportion must necessarily be made thin enough to be sprung over onto thethilliron to lock the saine. Therefore this strain will partially openthe coupling` sufiiient to produce rattling, if nothing more seriousshould happen. In my improved construction the strain, which is in thedirection of arrow b, Fig. l, is exerted against the cam end 9b of thelever, which in connection with the large stud 10 offers a resistancesufficient to prevent the slightest opening of the closed eye. Anotheradvantage of this method of securing the said hinged section is thatshould the handle of the lever becoinedisengaged from its fastening itwill hold such section if only a small portion Vof the cam end of saidlever and the semicircular seat of the eye-section are engaged, as shownat Fig. 3, as nothing short of swinging such cam portion clear of saidseat will release said eye-section, as shown at Fig. 4. The undersurface of the head portion of the locking-lever also rests IOO on thehorizontal surface 5a of said eye-section. When the hinged eye-sectionis opened, as shown at Fig. 5, it is closed by simply swinging thelocking-lever around to engage the cam 9d of said lever with the seat4:, which will carry such section up to close about the shaft-bolt..

From the forgoing description it will be observed that my device issimple of construction, easily and quickly operated, and very eectivefor the purpose for which it is adapted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a thill-coupling, of the character described, consisting, incombination with a hinged eye-section, having a semicircular seat formedtherein, of a swinging locking-lever pivotally supported on thethill-iron, a camface on the end of the head portion of said leveradapted to en gage with said seat to close said eye-section and hold itfirmly in place, means substantially as shown for securing the handleportion of said lever when the hinged eye-section is closed allsubstantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, this 16th day of October, A. D. 1899.

WILLIAM M. MORTON. /Vitnesses:

GEORGE E. HALL, REUBEN H. BROWN.

